Frankfurt Book Fair 2024 Showcases AI and Industry Responsibility

The 76th Frankfurt Book Fair will highlight Italy as the guest of honor, young adult literature, AI, and foster connections between publishing and gaming industries.

on Oct 14, 2024

The 76th Frankfurt Book Fair, taking place from October 16 to 20 in Frankfurt, Germany, will feature Italy as the special guest and present various focal points reflecting the changing trends in global publishing. These include young adult literature, artificial intelligence (AI), and the responsibilities associated with children's publishing.

A noteworthy new addition this year is the pavilion dedicated to young adult literature, emphasizing the increasing popularity of books aimed at teenage readers. Particularly, the romance and fantasy genres have experienced growing demand driven by social media platforms.

In recent years, social media has played an increasingly important role in book recommendations and marketing, leading to a gradual rise in the popularity of certain authors' works and young adult literature in the market.

In collaboration with the Bologna Children's Book Fair, the event will introduce a new gaming business center. This initiative aims to strengthen the connection between the publishing and gaming industries, creating opportunities for rights collaborations similar to those seen between publishers and the film industry.

AI will also be a major focus at this year's fair. Néstor Bustamante, global manager of AI at Springer Nature, presented at The Hof virtual live experience event on Thursday, exploring the role of AI in leading global scientific publishing houses.

To foster year-round engagement, the Frankfurt Book Fair is launching "Frankfurt Connect" this year, a new digital platform designed to extend networking and business opportunities beyond the five-day event. Users will be able to create digital business cards, schedule meetings, and share marketing materials through the platform.

Based on the professions and areas of interest provided during registration, the platform will suggest potential matches, including exhibitors, products, events, other users, and guest speakers, to help users expand their network.

As the world's largest book fair in terms of participating publishing companies, the event offers a platform where industry insiders can anticipate a range of B2B opportunities, networking occasions, and presentations with distinguished speakers. Private visitors can also enjoy readings and live events featuring renowned authors from around the world.

This year, China will host a collective booth, featuring events such as an international publishing rights promotion event for the graphic novel adaptation of The Three-Body Problem. Additionally, the signing ceremony of the "Sino-German Translation Project" strategic framework agreement between Deutsche Übersetzerfonds and Yilin Press is scheduled to take place.